Background: The achievement of local entrepreneurial success in South Africa is projected to reduce widespread unemployment in the townships, enhance the general buying power and upraise the overall productivity and living standards of poor South Africans. However, most entrepreneurial ventures do not survive for long, and remarkably the number of self-established, privately owned and long-standing businesses amongst black South Africans is very few.Aim: To investigate the factors that have led to the success and longevity of the Maponya business case.Setting: This research focused on a privately owned, self-initiated black South African successful business, which has been in existence for at least six decades.Methods: A qualitative research approach of a descriptive and explanatory single case study design was utilised using data from a semi-structured interview guide. Thematic and content analysis were used in the data analysis process.Results and findings: It was found that the Maponya business case is a family-controlled type of business. The success and longevity of the Maponya business case are attributable to the closeness of members within the Maponya family or clan. Access to membership is well controlled and requires adherence to a set of values based on one another to prosper in business.Conclusion: The documented findings can serve as a template for understanding the operationalisation of management techniques and leadership principles for entrepreneurial success and longevity in business for black South Africans and illuminate business prowess for the Southern African region and the entire African continent.

The objective of this study was to investigate the challenges to FDI inflows and the enabling factors to accelerate the growth of FDI inflows to South Africa amid the Covid-19 pandemic. An exploratory literature review strategy was used to develop comprehensive logical ideas towards the growth of FDI inflows against the backdrop of the Covid-19 outbreak in the country. The study establishes a decline in economic activity due to lockdowns, decreased mergers and acquisitions, and a reduction in mineral export revenue as the challenges from Covid-19 to FDI inflow. South Africa’s sound legal framework, availability of high-quality infrastructure, financial system, involvement in strategic economic alliances with other countries coupled with availability of natural mineral resources were revealed as enabling factors for an inflow of FDI. The results intimate to South Africa the need to enhance the enabling factors of FDI and create an environment to attract more FDI inflows further, focusing on favourable tax levies, assurance of safe landing, and more simplified business registration processes for foreign investors. This study highlights the importance of refocusing on FDI’s significant contribution to South Africa’s economy to address the deleterious effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.   Received: 12 August 2022 / Accepted: 25 October 2022 / Published: 5 November 2022